Join and support the mass delegation of Haligonians to present the Citizens Arrest Warrant to MP Megan Leslie. Protest the Israeli crime. Insist that Canada demand the extradition to Canada of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the premeditated lethal assault in international waters on the five civilian ships of the Free Gaza flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the 1.5 million Palestinian inhabitants.

1. Condemns the premeditated and murderous assault of the Israeli armed forces on the Gaza flotilla, known as the Freedom Flotilla, in the early morning darkness of May 31, 2010 in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea.

2. The unprovoked assault was carried out in international waters 65 km off the coast of Gaza in violation of international maritime law. Avital Leibovich, Israeli military spokeswoman, confirmed this fact, stating: “This happened in waters outside of Israeli territory, but we have the right to defend ourselves.” This act of military aggression against peaceful civilians in international waters violates definite provisions in the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas, Part VII. Referring to “freedom of navigation”, Article 88 states that, “the high seas shall be reserved for peaceful purposes,” and Article 89 says, “No state may validly purport to subject any part of the high seas to its sovereignty.” It is murder and piracy, pure and simple.

3. Condemns the disinformation by Israel of “pre-emptive”, “self defence.” The assertion of right to operate above the law is a fascist concept designed to manipulate world public opinion and to justify this and any other crime against the Palestinian people under the pretext of “Self defence.” The media is further confounding right and wrong by putting Israel’s monstrous war machine, the world’s fifth largest army, at the same level with legitimate resistance by international humanitarian aid activists, peaceful or otherwise. All ships have a basic right of self-defence from aggression and piracy.

4. Condemns the statement of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper of May 31, 2010 – ”Canada deeply regrets the loss of life and the injuries suffered. We are currently looking for more information in order to shed light on what exactly happened.” This is tantamount to the defence of the indefensible. The indifference and business-as-usual attitude projected by the Government of Canada – which expressed no revulsion against the Israeli crime and for the violation of international law and washed its hands concerning the safety of Canadian nationals onboard the Gaza peace flotilla – is criminal. It must not pass.

5. Points out that the murderous assault was approved by Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel prime minister, while on Canadian territory, in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, and as an invited guest of the Canadian state. Stating that it was “a premeditated operation,” Mark Regev, official Netanyahu spokesman, explicitly confirmed the personal involvement of Netanyahu in an interview by CBC Newsworld, 10:40 a.m (AST), as his justification for not accompanying Netanyahu to Canada and the United States.

The “premeditated” authorization of the egregious war crime is not only a brazen violation of international law it is a grave breach of the national sovereignty of Canada, “premeditated” and criminal.

6. In releasing the Citizen’s Arrest Warrant on Sunday 30 May 2010 at the public rally in Halifax, our spokesperson specifically stressed the issue was not merely past or ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity but present and future war crimes being planned as part of the “working visit” between Benjamin Netanyahu and Stephen Harper.

7. We again reiterate our demand to the Canadian government: as the war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly cut short his “working visit” and been allowed to leave Canadian soil, the Government of Canada must demand his immediate extradition for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

8. Recalling that foreign powers have used the sovereign territory of Canada to prepare interventionist military actions against sovereign countries, e.g., illegal mining of the harbours of Nicaragua, 1984 (Operation Minex) by the United States, condemned by the International Court at the Hague; the operation against the Republic of Iran by the United States which crashed in the desert south of Tehran, April 1980 (Operation Eagle Claw); and the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq, March, 2003 (Unified Spirit);

Points out that the appearance by Stephan Harper personally in a “photo opportunity” with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu within just a few hours after the deadly assault and while the government is allegedly “looking for information in order to shed light on what exactly happened” raises legitimate questions of foreknowledge. We therefore demand that the House of Commons investigate Stephen Harper and other leading officials of the Government of Canada for collusion in the planning of the Israeli war crime on Canadian soil against the Gaza peace flotilla by Benjamin Netanyahu.

We call on everyone to join the people of the world in condemning the attack on the flotilla and denounce the Zionist attacks on the Palestinian people and all those who support their just cause.

We are distressed to see the prime minister of Israel being made welcome in Canada on the day that we see his armed forces committing the outrageous crime against the peaceful flotilla, bringing humanitarian aid to the people under siege in Gaza, and murdering over 10 international human rights activists, in international waters.

To welcome Binyamin Netanyahu, who is responsible for this war crime as well as many previous war crimes, including extrajudicial assassination and violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention, brings sadly, dishonour to the good name of our country, Canada.

We call on our political leaders to condemn this outrageous act of piracy and call for an end to the illegal siege imposed against the 1.5 million people of Gaza, as well as the illegal occupation of Palestinian Territories that Israel has maintained for decades, in defiance of international law and repeated Security Council resolutions.